2 November 2026 Punjab Khabarnama Bureau : New Zealand ended the five-match T20I series against India with a convincing seven-wicket victory in the fifth and final match at Hamilton on Sunday, November 1. Opener Tim Seifert produced a match-winning innings of 93 runs, helping the hosts chase down India’s target of 192 with two overs to spare.
Although India had already secured the series by winning the first three matches, the defeat denied the visitors a perfect finish. New Zealand won the final two games to end the series on a positive note, with the overall result reading 3-2 in India’s favour.
Seifert was the standout performer, scoring 93 off just 50 deliveries. His innings included 11 boundaries and five sixes. Glenn Phillips provided excellent support with an unbeaten 65 off 38 balls as New Zealand reached 195/3 in 18 overs.
Tim Seifert leads New Zealand’s successful chase
Chasing 192, New Zealand lost Finn Allen early in the innings. Allen scored nine runs before top-edging an Arshdeep Singh delivery, which was safely caught by Ishan Kishan.
Seifert, however, ensured that the early setback did not create pressure on the hosts. He survived an important opportunity when Naman Dhir dropped a catch, allowing the New Zealand opener to continue his innings.
The 31-year-old made full use of the reprieve, attacking the Indian bowlers and finding boundaries regularly. He brought up his half-century in just 34 deliveries and kept the required run rate under control.
Seifert also benefited from a strong partnership with Daryl Mitchell. The pair added valuable runs before Mitchell was dismissed for 29 by Varun Chakravarthy.
Glenn Phillips then joined Seifert and took the attack to the Indian bowling unit. Their partnership took the game away from India, with both batters finding gaps and clearing the boundary with ease.
Seifert was eventually dismissed by Nitish Kumar Reddy for 93 in the 16th over, missing out on a maiden T20I century by just seven runs. However, the wicket came too late to change the outcome. Phillips remained unbeaten and guided New Zealand to victory.
India post 191 after early batting setbacks
Earlier, India finished their innings at 191/8 in 20 overs after being asked to bat first.
The visitors experienced a difficult start as openers Abhishek Sharma and Sanju Samson were dismissed cheaply. Abhishek failed to open his account, while Samson managed just four runs.
India were struggling at 19/2 when Ishan Kishan and captain Shreyas Iyer came together. The pair rebuilt the innings with an attacking partnership of 93 runs off 43 deliveries.
Kishan played an aggressive knock of 61 from 32 balls, striking boundaries and sixes to put pressure back on the New Zealand bowlers. Iyer also contributed significantly, scoring 50 off just 23 deliveries.
Both batters reached their half-centuries, giving India a strong platform to push towards a total above 200. However, Kishan’s dismissal in the 11th over triggered another collapse.
Iyer followed soon after, and India lost wickets at regular intervals. Naman Dhir provided a late contribution with 33 runs off 23 balls, but the visitors could not maintain their scoring momentum in the final overs.
Adam Milne leads New Zealand bowling attack
New Zealand fast bowler Adam Milne delivered an impressive performance with the ball, finishing with figures of 4/19 in his four overs.
His early breakthroughs put India under pressure and prevented the visitors from building a strong opening partnership. Nathan Smith and Blair Tickner also contributed with two wickets each.
Milne’s spell proved particularly important because India had the opportunity to post a much bigger total after the partnership between Kishan and Iyer.
Glenn Phillips creates bilateral T20I record
Glenn Phillips finished the series as New Zealand’s leading performer with the bat. His unbeaten 65 in the final match took his total to 341 runs across the five-match series.
With this achievement, Phillips set a new record for the most runs scored in a five-match bilateral T20I series, surpassing England batter Phil Salt’s previous mark of 331 runs.
Phillips scored three half-centuries and a century during the series and was named Player of the Series for his consistent performances.
India win series 3-2 despite final defeat
India had dominated the opening three matches, winning each of them to take an unassailable 3-0 lead. New Zealand responded with victories in the fourth and fifth T20Is, finishing the series with two consecutive wins.
The final match also raised questions about India’s fielding, with missed catches allowing New Zealand’s batters to build momentum. Captain Shreyas Iyer acknowledged after the game that the team needed to improve its fielding standards.
The two teams will now shift their attention to the five-match ODI series, scheduled to begin on November 4 in Auckland.
India will take confidence from winning the T20I series, while New Zealand will look to carry the momentum from their final two victories into the 50-over format.